To The Moon and Back

[Layla Harlow]

((October 5th))

Mommy and Daddy are sitting in the waiting room. Mommy is crying, her tears soaking Daddy's shirt as she curls her hands into the fabric. She'd been crying for months, constant and unyielding. Some days we spent in the semi-comfortable waiting room in the plush chairs with old upholstery. Others we spent in the room with Luca hooked up to wires and tubes that seemed to cover his whole body. He looks like Bane from Batman and Robin. Bane is his favorite supervillain. 

He looks like Bane after his wires get pulled out. Frail, deflated, sickly. I don't know what's happening. I keep hearing Neuroblasty, er, neurobl- I don't know what it is or how to pronounce it. Mommy says Luca is sick. That he can't play, that I shouldn't make him laugh because it'll hurt. I don't know what's happening and I'm scared. No one is telling me why Luca has spent the past few months between hospitals, never home to play anymore. I just want Luca to smile. My baby brother is so empty. His eyes look flat.

I don't know what's happening...

Push harder. Remember for fuck's sake! In the middle of a training room sat a young woman, curled in a tight ball, her hands pressed to her temples, pushing. Why wasn't it working? Why couldn't she remember? Flashes, brief and vague. Dull comparatively. There had to be a way to enhance before her manifestation. There had to be a way for her to see him. To remember him better! 

Ten years of fading had left Layla with the simplest memories of her three year old baby brother. He'd have been thirteen. He could have been at the same school as her. He could have been a mutant too. And she couldn't even remember what he looked like. Where each freckle stood on his cheeks, the exact color of his eyes, how tall he'd been compared to her younger self. Ten years of fading and Layla grew more and more impatient with her ability every passing October. Ask her to recall something so stupid, so impeccably trite and she could remember everything right down to the smell, the sounds around her and the thoughts passing through her mind.

She let out a shriek of frustration, "Come back! I need to remember!"

[Callie Montgomery]

Callie enjoyed the outdoors, yes. That was for certain. Little time was spent inside. If she could do it outside she would, but sometimes, just sometimes she needed some quiet, pure silence, and unfortunately outside lacked that. Her room wasn’t a good place either. The constant in an out of her roommates and people in the hall. No. It wasn’t suitable either. There was one place that came to mind. A place that if she went at the right time would be empty, and be completely and utterly silent. Yes, this was her best shot. Callie headed toward the training rooms. Hoping that they would be empty so she could have some silence and focus on the thing she had been working so hard on.

There were so many memories that filled her head on the way over. She recalled when she first arrived at Bellefonte how angry, confused, and upset she was. Between she thinking her parents just up and gave her away to the fact that she learned she was a mutant and had manifested some power. It was just information and emotional over load. One of the first places she had come was the training room. She’d never forget that. She had a trainer tell them to show them what she had unknowingly shown her dad. It was rough at first, but over time she enjoyed their sessions and came up with her own methods for control it. Yet from time to time, she found herself wandering back to the place that started it all.

Callie had made it, and as she entered she immediately heard someone yelling. No, it wasn’t empty. She would need to come back, or find another place. But being curious as she was, she walked closer to the girl who was curled up on the floor. Feeling herself reaching into her back pocket, she stopped herself. It wasn’t the right time. Not yet.

Callie bent down next to the girl on the floor. Pushing her blonde hair out her face she looked down at the girl with concern in her blue eyes. “Hey there sweetie. Everythin’ alright?” She asked. Her accent evident in her soft spoken words.

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Tag: Layla Harlow

[Layla Harlow]

Layla's whole body was trembling as she tried forcing it. Her ability was withdrawing, sinking back in, refusing to work with her any longer. And her head hurt, the backs of her eyes pulsing and pounding. She was breathing heavy like she'd been working out, but she had been sitting in the same spot for over an hour. An hour of playing her foggy memories of a past she tried so often to forget, just so that she could remember her little brother and what he was like. Pictures didn't do. They didn't show him, his personality. It wasn't like memories and she was losing all of the ones she had of him. Replaced by new ones that she couldn't bear to forget. All of Nicholas.

In all of her frustration, her annoyance, she hadn't noticed anyone come in. But the footsteps had alarmed her and she snapped her eyes up just as the girl knelt down to her level and asked if everything was okay. No, nothing was okay. She wasn't okay. This whole week was going to tear her apart because she always decided to go back and relive it. No matter how much it hurt.

Her throat was hoarse and she wasn't sure she could talk or if she wanted to talk. It wasn't this girl's problem. And Layla wasn't always willing to dive into her messed up life with someone she barely knew. Of course she'd seen this girl in classes, around campus, maybe even before they started college at BA. Whoever she was though, she wasn't anyone important to Layla and therefore didn't need any essential details into her life.

"I'm fine, just struggling with my ability is all. You'd think being in college I'd know how to use it better by now," She forced a short laugh and swallowed back the anger she was feeling. It wasn't right to take it out on her, she hadn't done anything.

[Callie Montgomery]

Callie was patient and watched as the girl was shaking. She had so many questions, but like the past has taught her everything she’d want to know would come in good time. She wanted so desperately to console the girl who was obviously suffering somehow, she wanted to place a hand on her shoulder but decided against it. She didn’t know what she was going through or what her power was. Callie wasn’t going to risk anything.
 
A small sense of relief came when the girl spoke, her voice was horse, and she was clearly struggling with something. Her power perhaps, but that wouldn’t get you all wound up like this. It reminded her of when she was first here, using her powers yes, but the hurt and anger was more potent due to her family, not her powers. No this girl wasn’t telling the whole truth and Callie would soon get her answers.

She gave a small smile and laugh to try and lighten the mood. “Yeah it can be difficult at times. I still struggle sometimes. It’s all ‘bout learning and growing with it.” She said giving a short nod. It was true, that’s why she had come here in the first place. Callie slowly reached on and placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder before taking a seat on the floor next to her. “My name’s Callie, Callie Montgomery. Is there anything I can do to help?” She asked as she gave a sincere smile.

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Tag: Layla Harlow